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Edhel
The Edhel (or sometimes "Elves") are an ancient elven race living on the continent of Aranna. They are considered one of the wisest races of the land, respected by nearly all. Nearly all elves are skilled with magic. History The Legends of the Elves Initially, the elves lived in several separate tribes hidden in the woods and across the great plain called Wenanda. According to elven legend, the elf Elandir the Coward became the first human. Despite having great power, he fled the elves in a time of need and lost the characteristics that made him an elf. He settled in the lands that would become the Northern Reaches, and the race of humans began. The elven tribe called Edhel, which would eventually be one of the strongest remaining tribes, dwelled in the Vai'Lutra Forest and lived amongst the animals. They created a small village on the banks of a magical river. Istaura and Isteru led the town into prosperity while studying the magical properties of the river. While they led the Edhel, the elves formed a cooperative relationship with the mysterious Taclak that also lived in the forest. This relationship became so close that Taclak would sometimes care for elven children. It was not long after this partnership formed that the Nothriim appeared on Aranna. The Nothriim performed strange and brutal experiments on the creatures of the land, but the Vai'Lutra Forests and the elves proved to be their primary focus. The Edhel were nearly destroyed, and were considering fleeing their homes when Lorethal formed the Crimson Hunters and began to successfully fight back against the Nothriim. Lorethal gave his life to ensure the victory over the Nothriim, and Isteru and Istaura were able to banish their foes from their world. As the Edhel began to rebuild, an elf named Arinth was born. The magical prowess of the Edhel was especially great within Arinth, and so the Edhel wizard Drindan the Wise took him under his wing. As he reached adulthood, Arinth was able to wield more magical energy than any other Edhel and crafted a staff that increased his power even more. Drindan grew concerned about Arinth as their training drew to a close. He warned Isteru of his concerns through dreams until, eventually, the messages ceased. Isteru soon beheld a vision of Arinth destroying the Vai'Lutra Forest -- the young Edhel had gone insane from accessing too much magic. Eventually, he attacked the Edhel town. Isteru and Istaura led all of the mages of Edhel who, with their combined magic, were able to subdue Arinth. They could not kill him or destroy his staff, such was his incredible power. His staff was broken into three parts and he was imprisoned. Arinth became a wicked name, and no Edhel child has been called Arinth since. Empire of Stars Several hundred years later, the humans, elves, and dwarves joined together to form the Empire of Stars. The first emperor was elected by the leaders of the races; the Edhel Emperor Almar I was chosen for his charisma and dedication to the cause of the empire. Almar decreed Imperial Peace and set out to create such peace through a series of bloody wars. These wars began in the lands of Lescanza, a human nation that had refused to join the Empire willingly. Although Almar passed, the next several emperors would continue his wars. Eventually, the Empire of Stars became the largest empire on Aranna, even combining with the Utgard Empire. It was during this time of prosperity that Zaramoth took the throne. He forbade anyone on Aranna from using magic, oppressing the naturally magical Edhel with his iron rule. Before too long, the War of the Legions broke out as the armies of the Empire of Stars began to revolt. Many Edhel joined in the revolt, and eventually joined Azunai the Defender in battle against the tyrant. This battle caused the First Cataclysm, which the Edhel refer to as "Turmanar". The Second Age Having foreseen the destruction of the First Cataclysm, the elves attempted, with varying degrees of success, to protect the lands in which they lived. Still, the river the Edhel lived on the banks of was corrupted by the Cataclysm. The elves relocated to the source of river, where they formed a new town called Aman'lu. Although they still lived in the Vai'Lutra Forest, the elves constructed houses and buildings for their new town. Angered by this, the Taclak became hostile to the Edhel. Though they pose a small threat, their hostility is symptomatic of the change that the Edhel were undergoing and continue to experience: they have lost their symbiosis with the natural world, the bedrock of their old ways. Many Edhel find this to be the great shame of their people. Eventually an Azunite Scholar came to the Edhel, entrusting them with the Aegis of Death and impressing upon them the importance of keeping it safe. He also sold an amulet to the leader of Aman'lu, the Elder Drevisil. The elves made the protection of the Aegis their highest priority. Upon learning of the Aegis of Life and its location on Greilyn Isle, the Edhel sent an expedition to the Greilyn Dryads. The elves aided the dryads in creating a society, and charged the Dryads with protection of the Aegis on their island. The Edhel not only aided in constructing the city of Eirulan but even chose the strategic location of the city. Meanwhile, Edhel scholars and historians began to study the Aegis of Death in Aman'lu, particularly impressed with its immense power. Several of these elves, the Vai'Kesh, began to develop new spells the used the power of the Aegis. They formed a guild they called the "Manu Ostar". The spells grew more complex, requiring more and more members of the guild to cast. Eventually, they designed a spell that required all of the Manu Ostar. The spell, "Nuuruhuine", would control death itself. The spell backfired in an explosion that killed half of the Manu Ostar and turned the rest into unliving beings, elves that would decay but would never die. The survivors were banished from Aman'lu, but settled into a part of the Vai'Lutra Forest that would come to be known as the Vai'Kesh Forest. Their dark magics eventually twisted and corrupted this part of the forest. The Vai'Kesh, viewing themselves as superior and having a desperate need for the Aegis of Death, would become the eternal enemies of the Edhel. Time wore on with few significant events for the Edhel, until Valdis came to power. Many Edhel joined Valdis' army of mercenaries, including Drevin, the descendant of Drevisil. This act would set in motion the events leading to the end of the Second Age. Valdis betrayed the mercenaries on Greilyn Isle, killing nearly all of them, and disappearing with the Aegis of Life. Those mercenaries that survived joined the resistance against Valdis. Princess Evangelinae of the Northern Reaches came to Aman'lu as this battle occurred and convinced Celeb'hel the Elder that the Aegis would be better protected in Snowbrook Haven than in Aman'lu. She and her caravan departed the town with the Aegis of Death shortly before Valdis arrived to claim it for himself. Discovering he was too late made the tyrant furious. The Archmage of the Dark Wizards bombarded the town with a meteor and with magical flames. The adventurers leading the resistance soon arrived and were able to activate the Prism of the Elves to extinguish the flames with mystical rain. Unfortunately, these adventurers also put together Arinth's Staff and inadvertantly released the mad wizard from his prison. They followed him to a temple honoring Isteru and Istauru, where they were able to finally slay him. Upon his death, his staff lost its magical properties. The adventurers left Aman'lu to recover the Aegis and stop Valdis. After their departure, the Edhel gathered to watch their quest. When they realized what was coming, the Elders gathered together to shield Aman'lu from the Second Cataclysm. All of these elders save Celeb'hel were killed in the blast. As they were also directing the mass vision the Edhel were watching, the entire race lost their gift of foresight in that instant. The Third Age Not only did the Edhel find themselves lost without their gift of foresight, the Second Cataclysm, along with the help of the Overmage, released their ancient nemesis the Nothriim. Immediately, the Nothriim began their old experiments, creating horrible, twisted new monstrosities that terrorized the land. Furthermore, Celeb'hel became one of the mages to fall under the influence of the Overmage. Fortunately, and unbeknownst to anyone, he had split himself into four beings using Soul Stones to create a Simalcrum. The adventurers seeking the Overmage slew the insane Celeb'hel on their way to reach Aman'lu. When they returned to the town, they found that what remained of the populace had mostly given up. The town was besieged, and the Edhel felt useless against their enemies. With the help of the adventurers, a short-lived alliance was created with the Vai'Kesh to defeat the Nothriim -- until the Vai'Kesh betrayed the Edhel. In the ensuing battle, it is believed that all of the Vai'Kesh were slain. The true Celeb'hel was soon discovered, attempting to cast a spell that would bend the world to his will so he could undo the loss of foresight, for which he blamed himself. The spell was stopped, and the adventurers journeyed on. They laid waste to many Nothriim, bringing hope back to the Edhel. With a new spark, the elves soon realized that the new leader of the Dryads was in fact the Overmage. Eventually, the Champions of the Third Age were able to destroy the Overmage. Finala became the new Elder of the Edhel and began to rebuild her race. With the Vai'Kesh gone, the corruption of the Vai'Lutra Forest faded. A year later, Serin -- the only Edhel not to lose her visions, for reasons unknown -- traveled to the Broken Lands to investigate apocalyptic images she had seen. She discovered that Elven foresight could be restored by a spell that could be found in the ruins of Citadel of Drahn. After the death of Malith, Serin found the spell and cast it. Nearly all of the Edhel regained their gift of foresight. Culture Though the elves were originally intimately close with the natural world. Their innate curiosity, however, has led them down a different path. Now, scholars and historians are among the most influential of elves -- often ranking second to only the elders who lead Edhel society. Due to their thirst for knowledge and long life-span, many Edhel know more than individuals of other races. This does not, however, diminish the compassion elves generally feel towards other races. Few towns are comprised exclusively of elves, as the Edhel frequently feel the need to shelter or protect others. Abilities Foresight Prior to the Second Cataclysm, nearly all elves had the gift of foresight to varying degrees. The gift is strengthened the more elves are in close proximity together, giving the seers a greater degree of clarity. Elves with strong visions often felt weakened or ill after their powerful visions, unless the sight was shared. On occasion, the seer could become trapped in a dream world triggered by their vision. The gift was restored to most of the Edhel after Serin cast a spell discovered in the Broken Lands. Dreaming Some Edhel may also communicate with others through dreams. This is a very rare ability, generally only found in the most powerful of wizards. Notable Members *Isteru *Istaura *Lorethal *Drevisil *Drindan the Wise *Emperor Almar I *Arinth the Mad *Celeb'hel the Elder *Drevin *Amren *Finala *Ressa *Serin Real World Edhel are a playable race in Dungeon Siege II. External Links *Dungeon Siege Wiki Category:Edhel Category:Elves Category:Needs Images Category:Dungeon Siege II Bestiary Category:DS Elves